In U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,891 to Sachczenski there is described a manually powered snow removal apparatus having a frame and a blade on which snow is collected. The blade is pivotally mounted on one lateral side thereof from the frame. A spring loaded finger locates beneath the blade and upon actuation of a release, the finger upwardly and thereby rotates the blade, throwing the snow to one side thereof. While provision is made to vary the degree of compression of the spring and hence the force applied to throw the snow to one side, such force is limited by the maximum degree of compression of the spring, which may be inadequate to lift snow loaded onto the blade. Moreover, the apparatus includes a treadle for compressing the spring; as the spring pressure is released, the treadle will be urged upwardly with a speed depending on the load on the blade. Since the treadle is relatively exposed to permit its use, it may result in inadvertent injury to the operator its release.